Deep diving advice that goes against conventional thought?

[DCBC]

Pardon my trolling, but I think it's ridiculous that people freak out at the dangers of diving CCRs, but then climb into a motor-car and drive it down highways while checking their email and rocking out to "Stairway to Heaven." With their kids in the back seat...

As you know Reg, a driver can be inattentive and still arrive at their destination safely. The driver may be a non-licensed teenager who goes on joyride, a licensed driver texting, talking on their cellphone, or driving after consuming alcohol. With CCR, if you don't know what you're doing, it's highly likely that you're going to kill yourself.

I agree with you that people take unnecessary risks. Some are just not too bright; while at the same time 'others' seek to learn how and are not taught enough to keep them safe. Some diver training Agencies are quick to grab the money even certifying non-swimmers (how safe is that?)

I don't doubt that CCR will become totally automated and will be available to people on a mass scale in years to come. When this occurs, people with little training will see 200 FSW regularly. Statistics will indicate a low death toll and some will hold this out as proof that anyone can dive safely after 4 hours of instruction.

This lowering of standards has been repeated several times in the past. The question use to be: How much can we teach them over the minimum (what a person should reasonably know to prepare themselves to dive safely)? to How little can we teach them before they are certified (if they want more they can always come back on an Advanced course)? Interestingly enough, there are a high number of people who will defend the latter. If you wonder who these are, I'd quote 'All the President's Men'... just "follow the money."

 

[ajduplessis]

Is PADI not offering an recreational trimix rebreather course?

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Is PADI not offering an recreational trimix rebreather course?

Who in their right mind would offer a recreational trimix certification card? And what kind of certificate-collecting magpie would buy such a shiny thing?

 

[kr2y5]

When this occurs, people with little training will see 200 FSW regularly. Statistics will indicate a low death toll and some will hold this out as proof that anyone can dive safely after 4 hours of instruction.

Just wondering, for a true apples-to-apples comparison... if a certified Trimix diver, recreational or not, with some post-training experience (since presumably, those are the ones moving onto rebreathers due to the imminent Helium shortage as they anticipate further expenses) had a budget of exactly 4 hours to spend on additional training before they undertake their first-ever dive to 200 FSW, and they wanted to maximize their safety during said dive, what would be the better way to go: (a) take the rebreather class, and do the dive on a rebreather, on Trimix, while facing significant risks of rebreather diving with little practice, or (b) take an accelerated deep air diving course, and do the dive on air while facing significant risks of narcosis at twice the END they ever experienced, again with little opportunity to learn about their limits during their training...

 

[danvolker]

Just wondering, for a true apples-to-apples comparison... if a certified Trimix diver, recreational or not, with some post-training experience (since presumably, those are the ones moving onto rebreathers due to the imminent Helium shortage as they anticipate further expenses) had a budget of exactly 4 hours to spend on additional training before they undertake their first-ever dive to 200 FSW, and they wanted to maximize their safety during said dive, what would be the better way to go: (a) take the rebreather class, and do the dive on a rebreather, on Trimix, while facing significant risks of rebreather diving with little practice, or (b) take an accelerated deep air diving course, and do the dive on air while facing significant risks of narcosis at twice the END they ever experienced, again with little opportunity to learn about their limits during their training...

This is like asking if it is better to drive after chugging 6 Rum Runners with 151... or, ....drive after chugging a dozen beers. And yes, there are people that will face themselves with a choice like this.....The question is, are you going to ask yourself this kind of question, or are you going to figure out a better way?

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Just wondering, for a true apples-to-apples comparison... if a certified Trimix diver, recreational or not, with some post-training experience (since presumably, those are the ones moving onto rebreathers due to the imminent Helium shortage as they anticipate further expenses) had a budget of exactly 4 hours to spend on additional training before they undertake their first-ever dive to 200 FSW...

I think if we are conflating rebreathers, trimix, and the trend to relax certification standards, we are not comparing apples to apples. Comparing apples to apples would be theorizing that PADI may start offering pSCR training at the Tech40 level, teaching divers to extend their bottom times while staying under 40m.

 

[kr2y5]

This is like asking if it is better to drive after chugging 6 Rum Runners with 151... or, ....drive after chugging a dozen beers. And yes, there are people that will face themselves with a choice like this.....The question is, are you going to ask yourself this kind of question, or are you going to figure out a better way?

I agree, but then limited training cannot be used as an argument against rebreathers, since people would not do the same dives with limited training in deep air. What I personally will do: take all the instruction I can possibly find, and make the smallest increments I possibly can in gaining practical experience, but consider the possibility that a few years and hundreds of dives down the road, a rebreather will likely be the most viable alternative if the Helium prices keep going up as everybody says they will.

 

[PfcAJ]

Gotta be good at OC before diving a rebreather, and you've gotta be good at deep OC before taking the RB deep.

 

[tomfcrist]

Gotta be good at OC before diving a rebreather, and you've gotta be good at deep OC before taking the RB deep.

Couldn't disagree more.

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Gotta be good at OC before diving a rebreather, and you've gotta be good at deep OC before taking the RB deep.

Couldn't disagree more.

Do you strongly disagree with Gotta be good at OC before diving a rebreather, with you've gotta be good at deep OC before taking the RB deep, or both? And why?